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Microsoft Forms — what it does and the privacy rules for Australian surveys

Microsoft Forms is a tool for creating surveys, quizzes, and polls, offering simple data collection and basic automation inside Microsoft 365.

Last reviewed 3 July 2026

What Microsoft Forms Does

Microsoft Forms allows users to easily create various types of forms, including surveys to gather feedback, quizzes to assess knowledge, and polls to gauge opinions. Forms supports branching logic to tailor questions based on previous answers, file upload capabilities for collecting documents, and the option to restrict access to specific groups or individuals. A key distinction exists between personal Forms (owned by individual users) and group/organisation Forms (managed centrally).

Forms in Australian Tenants Today

Australian organisations utilising Microsoft Forms must adhere to the Privacy Act 1988 and related guidelines. The OAIC emphasises the importance of reasonable steps to protect personal information collected through Forms, including clear privacy notices and secure data handling practices. Data residency is typically within AU data centres, but confirmation is essential. Integration with Power Automate is common for automating response processing, but this must also be assessed for privacy compliance. Consider the Australian Voluntary AI Safety Standard if using Forms for AI-driven assessments.

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